


Confession on TV

by AndersAndrew



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chief of Staff Edward Nygma, Declarations Of Love, Emotionally Repressed, Fix-It, Fluffy Ending, Gen, Love Confessions, Mayor Oswald Cobblepot, Public Claiming, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 20:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17352137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndersAndrew/pseuds/AndersAndrew
Summary: Oswald waited. He waited for Ed to live his brief passion with Isabella, he waited the man looks at him like a potential lover.But words slips from his lips, and everybody heard him to say it :The Mayor Cobblepot is in love with a man, and this man is Edward Nygma.





	Confession on TV

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Sleeping-potatoe who beta-read this text.

« And after your controversial release from prison, you met your father, Elijah Van Dahl.

A man whose identity your mother kept from you. »

« It's exact. » Oswald answered calmly.

Ed, stood near the cameraman, giving him a thumbs up and smiling at him. He was a reassuring view during this stressful interview. A faint blush colored Oswald's cheeks and his attention returned to Margaret Hearst.

This woman reminded him of a snake. Every woman was a snake, he was sure about that. Grace, Sasha, Barbara Kean and this tramp of Tabitha Galavan.

Isabella. His heart ached for Ed. He hated this woman with all of his being, and he was happy she broke up with Edward. But the poor Ed was devastated, and sometimes he told himself that it had been wrong to let them live their love story. He would have to protect his best friend from this shrew with her changing heart.

It was too late now, and the girl had left the city without a glance back. Good for her, because he was not the forgiving kind.

« He also died under suspicious circumstances. His wife and step-children disappearing soon after. »

Startled, Oswald suddenly came back to reality. The journalist –  _the vulture_  – squinted her eyes with a smirk on her red lips. The furious desire to hit her with a heavy weapon – something like a mace, to break her white teeth - itched him.

His look crossed Edward's and he regained some control. His fingers tensed on the armrests of his chair.

« Well, I'm pretty sure they were responsible for his death. So, I hope they are well hidden, because if I found them, the consequences would be  _very_ unpleasant. » Oswald exclaimed, leaning toward the woman.

« What do you mean by ''Unpleasant'' ? » The journalist asked.

Oswald straightened himself with an affable but also false smile.

« I will denounce them to the GCPD, obviously. They are the knights of this city – of course, I forgive them for arresting me in the past, sending me to this horrible monster factory, the Arkham Asylum. Did you know they tortured me ? I don't say that to make you feel pity, but I can say I'm a survivor, like every gothamite. »

He turned his eyes to the camera, looking to any people in front of their tv.

« All of you know my past. You know I was not the better man. But I make this city better, safer. I hunted the monsters which haunted our streets, I protected your children, and I swear it to you, right now, I swear I will dedicate my life to making a reborn Gotham, more beautiful and radiant than ever ! »

When he turned again to the journalist, she looked very angry. She forced a smile upon her face.

« Nice speech, Mr Mayor. But about your father's death, there are rumors... »

Oswald's attention was on Ed. His friend had a hand over his heart, the biggest smile he had ever seen, and eyes shiny like the night of the election. Full of love, devotion, and admiration.

Oswald's heart stopped, just a second. All of his face, reddened, and he felt it, he felt his skin burn under the make-up. He was sure everyone could see it and the shame made his eyes tearful.

« Are you feeling well, Mr. Mayor? »

Margaret Hearst's voice was irritating. Oswald answered dryly.

« I-I'm great. »

« You don't look fine. »

Oswald’s jaw tightened.

« I am ! »

He felt his control disappear. His affection for Edward, his anger against the journalist, the pressure of the camera, everything...it made his head dizzy. He had to say something, anything.

« I'm in love ! »

Someone gasped. Oswald didn't stop looking at the journalist in the eyes. She looked surprised.

« You...who...who is the lucky girl ? »

Her tone was scornful, mocking. Oswald's blood boiled in his veins and he abruptly blurted out.

« My dear, it's not a ''girl'', and he's not the lucky one. I am, but he ignores that. He doesn't know my feelings for him, because I can’t find the courage to tell him. Even if I did, he would reject me. I know that for sure. He's a good man, the best, actually, better than me. I...I love him, love him so hard, so passionnately. And I can't stay calm and composed when he is in this room, looking at me and-and...it's just too much. It's enough. »

He felt a tear drop on his cheek, his vision becoming blurry. He stood up.

« Mr Mayor ! »

He tore away the micro and ran – or waddled fast to the exit. Nobody tried to stop him, even Edward. Oswald didn't have the heart to look at him.

It was the worst moment of his life.

 

The consequences of his outburst appeared in all the newspapers the next day. The serious ones criticized the interview with a mocking look, giving him the clever nickname of Mayor Crumblepot. The tabloid tried to guess who was the man that Oswald Cobblepot loved – and several of them showed some photographies of Ed and Oswald on their cover. Of course, it was so obvious now that he had revealed his feeling to the world.

Instead of trying to stay calm and change the situation, Oswald exploded in the mayoral office with no concern for his reputation anymore. He was a mess, angry, tired and desperate. He screamed and threw fragile things in the room just for the brief relief of hearing it break, he tore out important papers and put them on fire, repeating « I'm going to kill them, kill them, kill them all... » over and over like a maniac. He was holding on by a thread.

Suddenly, someone dared knock at his office door. The effect was immediate, he interrupted his tantrum to look expectantly at the door. The latter opened and Ed walked into the room.

« I brought breakfast » he told with a casual tone despite the state of the room, carefully carrying a kraft bag from a famous diner. « You left in a hurry this morning, I'm sure you didn't eat. »

Oswald's face crumpled and he turned quickly to hide.

« I'm not hungry right now. » he said in a shaky voice.

« I guess you aren't. » Ed answered quietly. « But I hope that you will at least consider it. You didn't eat yesterday either and it's...concerning. »

« Yesterday was a nightmare. », Oswald whispered under his breath. « I wanted to disappear entierely. »

« It would be tragic if you disappeared. For me...and the city, of course. »

« The city seems to think it would be better without me. » Oswald said, salty but calmer.

Discussing with Edward had this effect on him. Ed understood him, cared for him.

But not enough. Not like a lover.

« I want to be alone. » he added, defeated by the realisation he was the only one in love here, even if Ed was a close friend. In fact, he felt kind of worse because of that.

His chief of staff frowned.

« It's not a good id... »

« Get out ! » Oswald shouted in despair.

He didn't want Ed seeing through his behaviour the feelings he had for him. He didn't want Ed to know.

Once, he hoped. He thought that after his break-up, after some weeks left to sulk and mourn his relationship with Isabella, maybe, Ed would be ready to accept his declaration of love. He thought a lot about that, imagined all the details, how it would be to have a second chance to make things right.

But he understood now it was delusionnal. Just a new way to hurt himself, to destroy his present happiness.

Slowly, Ed decided to obey. He glanced a last time to Oswald with worry. The mayor didn't look at him, turning his back to him. His back looked so small and fragile in the middle of the office which was a battlefield. But Oswald wanted to stay alone and he respected his wish.

He left.

 

« I don’t know what to do, mother. » Oswald told to the cold stone on the Gotham cemetary.

He was alone under the rain with an umbrella. The emptiness left by his mother’s death was more intense these days. He felt lost and lonely, even with Ed in the same room. It’s suffocating to look at him and feeling all this love, without being capable to let  his heart talk.

He sniffed, shaking in the wind.

« He’s my one true love and I can’t lose him. I….don’t know how you even could survive to this. I mean…quitting my father and… »

He puts his hand on his mouth with emotion.

« I’m not strong like you. I need him like…like air. Like breathing. He is….oh mother, you have to know after all, he came to put flowers on your tomb. He is…beautiful. A mind so amazing, so precise and powerful, he’s a litteral genius and he’s so good in everything, he is brilliant ! » Oswald babbled with enthusiasm.

He blushed, ashamed to say it aloud, so he looked around and kept his soliloquy, with a lower tone.

« He is perfect. I really would want you meet him when you were alive. You would have love him. He is a gentleman with good maneers. A little bit awkward, when he doesn’t know the people, but so observant, cultivated, interesting… »

The rain stopped and the Penguin sighed.

« He is a dream. A dream I can’t afford. I believed…all my life, I could make me a king if I worked hard for it. But in love, all the efforts are vain if the other person doesn’t like you in return. »

A sob trembled from his lips. He lowered his head and took a handkerchief from his pocket to blow his nose.

« I don’t know what to do, really. » He whispered. « Unrequited love is a torture. »

« What if it’s not unrequited ? »

Oswald’s eyes opened in surprise. He turned, chest suddenly heavy, and saw Edward coming from behind a tree. Panic and self-conciousness made Oswald struggle to say something. He just watched the man he loved kneel in front of his mother’s tomb and put a bouquet of white lilies on the stone.

« You…kept giving her flowers. » The Penguin said in awe.

« I never ceased. »

Ed looked at Oswald, his deep brown eyes so serious Oswald felt his breath stop.

« I heard everything. I didn’t want to spy on you, but I didn’t want intrude and… »

« You…heard me ?! » Oswald cringed with horror.

« Please, don’t… »

Edward tried to take his arm to hold him in place but the mayor recoiled. He was livid.

« Oh my god ! Oh my… »

Eyes tearful, he hid his face with his hands.

« Don’t look at me like that ! »

« What ? Oswald, I… »

« DON’T LOOK ! »

Ed’s mouth stayed open, thus closed. He twisted his hands in front of him. Oswald took some profound breathes, trying to clear the mess of his thoughts.

« I…what do you mean…by not unrequited ? » He asked after regaining his control.

Edward bite his lip, frowning. He searched his words and pronounced them carefully :

« I had my suspicions. I can’t say if…well, if it’s love, like people love their friends or their family. I mean, I never….I never really had the one or the other. But feeling loved by you…it’s not something I hate. The contrary in fact. It’s a good feeling and sometimes…like when you blurted out those things on TV…I…I felt something strange and…strong. It was…just as if my heart had stopped beating. I felt my blood rush and…the happiness. It was…new. Not like Kristen and Isabella but…new. Not bad actually. Maybe….maybe better. »

After his long confession, Edward stared down at his shoes, like a punished child.

Oswald had the desire to kiss his anxiety away, but contained the emotion. He murmured :

« You are the first one for me. But…it…it looks like we share the same feelings, maybe ? Perhaps…perhaps we could…try and see. »

Delicately, he took Ed’s hands in his.

« If you want me…just a little bit….it’s enough for me. »

When Ed didn’t answer, Oswald let out a shaky « please… ».

The next thing he felt was moist and soft lips on his mouth, a cold palm on his cheek.

« Love… » Edward said by licking his lips, eyes burning with a flame. « Love is a mystery. Will you help me deciphering it ? »

The Penguin smiled, kissing this pretty mouth saying so many beautiful words.

« Yes. Everything for you, love. »


End file.
